I mentioned a while back that we had had two semi-big financial drains (right before christmas!) hit us, and that I was worried about what the third thing would be (since bad things happen in three's). Well, we got home from visiting family and discovered that our furnace wasn't working (right after christmas too!). We got it fixed fairly quickly- we were wearing extra layers for about a day, so it could have been worse. One of the motors died.
There's number three. Hopefully we can take it easy now.
I read somewhere that you should save 1% of your home's value each year to pay for repairs and things. Not a bad idea. If I didn't have to pay so much more in taxes this year, I might be able to do that! :)
Rearranging the household budget is one of my favorite activities (I already said that I was weird) so this will be interesting to try to work in... Better to be prepared than surprised.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Yogurty Yogurt
A few weeks ago I attempted to make homemade yogurt. The result was a nasty rubber-cement consistency that immediately went in the garbage (it was so bad, I didn't even try to feed it to the chickens). I'm not sure if the problem was with temperature or that I let it "yogurt" for too long. Maybe both.
For christmas, my sweet Mr. (who puts up with all my strange habits- and even adopts some of them himself- you should see him herd the chickens...) bought me a yogurt maker. It should actually be called a yogurt incubator, since that's the only thing it does. You still have to boil the milk and mix in the starter, then refrigerate and flavor.
My first batch in the yogurt maker was a big hit. The boys were really excited about it, and could hardly wait until it was done (you'd have thought yogurt was some rare treat). A little tart, because I only used about half the amount of sugar in the berries, and slightly runnier than store-bought yogurt (the Mr. said it was like a smoothie), but very tasty. I think if I use less water in the berry/sugar mix it will stay thicker.
My second batch just went into the fridge.
I'm very happy.
My next batch will be with powdered milk.
I wish I had taken a picture of the yogurt in the little jars when I first poured the berries on top. It looked like some sort of fancy dessert.
For christmas, my sweet Mr. (who puts up with all my strange habits- and even adopts some of them himself- you should see him herd the chickens...) bought me a yogurt maker. It should actually be called a yogurt incubator, since that's the only thing it does. You still have to boil the milk and mix in the starter, then refrigerate and flavor.
My first batch in the yogurt maker was a big hit. The boys were really excited about it, and could hardly wait until it was done (you'd have thought yogurt was some rare treat). A little tart, because I only used about half the amount of sugar in the berries, and slightly runnier than store-bought yogurt (the Mr. said it was like a smoothie), but very tasty. I think if I use less water in the berry/sugar mix it will stay thicker.
My second batch just went into the fridge.
I'm very happy.
My next batch will be with powdered milk.
I wish I had taken a picture of the yogurt in the little jars when I first poured the berries on top. It looked like some sort of fancy dessert.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Give me (and you) a break...
I've had a couple of experiences lately that have been rather frustrating. It seems that there are many many people in the world who expect everyone around them to accept their weaknesses (or ignore them maybe) but that are not willing to do the same for others.
Why are we so hard on each other? I was reading an article on LDS.ORG that was about strengthening marriages, but the point can be applied in any relationship no matter how minor. I don't think most people go around with the intent of hurting others. Most hurt feelings occur from misunderstandings. If we choose to assume the best in people and talk out problems if they arise instead of choosing to be offended and hurt, life would be a lot less complicated.
Christmas is a nice time of year because so many people are a little kinder. At costco a couple of days ago, I was rounding a corner with my huge costco-sized cart and nearly crashed into a grandfatherly sort of man. I apologized because it seemed like the polite thing to do, and this man looked surprised and said that there was nothing to be sorry for, and gave me a big smile. How hard was that? Not very.
On a somewhat-not-very related note, I ran across this post in a local blog A Liberal Mormon. It seems like a group of people who believe the teachings of Christ (be kind, help those around you, etc...) would be a group that could really do some good, but they choose to be confrontational and their goals seem so misdirected. Apparently the former leader of the group, Reverend Joel Hunter, has resigned because he felt that poverty, aids, and global warming should be added to the group's issues. There's a nice quote from him: My position is, unless we are caring as much for the vulnerable outside the womb as inside the womb, we’re not carrying out the full message of Jesus.
Some people choose to be offended easily, and some people choose to distort perfectly good messages of love and kindness. If only everyone had parents like mine, people would be a lot less crazy. Of course, it's not really my place to say who is crazy and who is not, is it...
Why are we so hard on each other? I was reading an article on LDS.ORG that was about strengthening marriages, but the point can be applied in any relationship no matter how minor. I don't think most people go around with the intent of hurting others. Most hurt feelings occur from misunderstandings. If we choose to assume the best in people and talk out problems if they arise instead of choosing to be offended and hurt, life would be a lot less complicated.
Christmas is a nice time of year because so many people are a little kinder. At costco a couple of days ago, I was rounding a corner with my huge costco-sized cart and nearly crashed into a grandfatherly sort of man. I apologized because it seemed like the polite thing to do, and this man looked surprised and said that there was nothing to be sorry for, and gave me a big smile. How hard was that? Not very.
On a somewhat-not-very related note, I ran across this post in a local blog A Liberal Mormon. It seems like a group of people who believe the teachings of Christ (be kind, help those around you, etc...) would be a group that could really do some good, but they choose to be confrontational and their goals seem so misdirected. Apparently the former leader of the group, Reverend Joel Hunter, has resigned because he felt that poverty, aids, and global warming should be added to the group's issues. There's a nice quote from him: My position is, unless we are caring as much for the vulnerable outside the womb as inside the womb, we’re not carrying out the full message of Jesus.
Some people choose to be offended easily, and some people choose to distort perfectly good messages of love and kindness. If only everyone had parents like mine, people would be a lot less crazy. Of course, it's not really my place to say who is crazy and who is not, is it...
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Something Scary!
There was an article in today's paper about children suffocating in their car seats. It's a little scary since car seats are so convenient with small babies. You strap them in get them in the car, and then they can stay in the car seat when you're running errands or even after you get home if they've fallen asleep- which is pretty common.
The article suggests only using the car seat in the car, even if it means waking a baby that is napping.
My second son sat in his car seat a lot. I was busy with his older brother, and he was a really mellow baby. He would just sit there looking around, so until he got fussy, I let him stay there. I guess I won't be doing that again. It's a good thing for another reason too, son #2 has a flat spot on the back of his head. The dr. kept saying it would pop out, but it hasn't. Maybe less time in a car seat is beneficial for head shape too.
The article suggests only using the car seat in the car, even if it means waking a baby that is napping.
My second son sat in his car seat a lot. I was busy with his older brother, and he was a really mellow baby. He would just sit there looking around, so until he got fussy, I let him stay there. I guess I won't be doing that again. It's a good thing for another reason too, son #2 has a flat spot on the back of his head. The dr. kept saying it would pop out, but it hasn't. Maybe less time in a car seat is beneficial for head shape too.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
It's a....
Yesterday was my ultrasound appointment. So I thought.
I scheduled it at least two weeks ago, and was a little disappointed at the time that I had to wait so long to get an appointment. I got to the hospital (after arranging for child care) with my mom (since Mr. had not made it back from the hunting trip yet), only to find out that they had no record of my appointment. I think the woman thought I either had the wrong hospital or was trying to weasel my way into an appointment.
I had even called the day before to ask a question, and they asked my name before answering anything (which made me think they had looked me up on the computer). Everything seemed fine then, but there was no appointment made for me when I got there. The next available appointment was three weeks later (by then, the poor kid would be so big, you wouldn't be able to see anything).
It's unkind to shock pregnant women like that, so of course, I started crying (just a little, I couldn't help myself!) the receptionist must have taken pity on me because she said that even though they were double-booked all day, I could come back in an hour and a half and they'd squeeze me in.
The unexpected change made for some interesting child shuffling, prevented my mom from getting much done at work, and pushed my pie baking back to today (the pies are almost done, I just have three lemon meringue left to make).
Finally I got in for the appointment that I really did make, and I have no idea why it wasn't in the computer system... Anyway, everything looked good, all body parts accounted for and all.
And it's a boy.
I'm not sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. Maybe a little of both. I'd like to be able to buy little girl clothes and do hair and all that, but really, when you consider that I have a hard time getting my boys' hair brushed on a regular basis, maybe I'm better off.
I scheduled it at least two weeks ago, and was a little disappointed at the time that I had to wait so long to get an appointment. I got to the hospital (after arranging for child care) with my mom (since Mr. had not made it back from the hunting trip yet), only to find out that they had no record of my appointment. I think the woman thought I either had the wrong hospital or was trying to weasel my way into an appointment.
I had even called the day before to ask a question, and they asked my name before answering anything (which made me think they had looked me up on the computer). Everything seemed fine then, but there was no appointment made for me when I got there. The next available appointment was three weeks later (by then, the poor kid would be so big, you wouldn't be able to see anything).
It's unkind to shock pregnant women like that, so of course, I started crying (just a little, I couldn't help myself!) the receptionist must have taken pity on me because she said that even though they were double-booked all day, I could come back in an hour and a half and they'd squeeze me in.
The unexpected change made for some interesting child shuffling, prevented my mom from getting much done at work, and pushed my pie baking back to today (the pies are almost done, I just have three lemon meringue left to make).
Finally I got in for the appointment that I really did make, and I have no idea why it wasn't in the computer system... Anyway, everything looked good, all body parts accounted for and all.
And it's a boy.
I'm not sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. Maybe a little of both. I'd like to be able to buy little girl clothes and do hair and all that, but really, when you consider that I have a hard time getting my boys' hair brushed on a regular basis, maybe I'm better off.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Dirty Secrets about Santa Clause
This morning I was giving my 5-year-old a hug and was about knocked over backwards by his breath. It was bad. I told him he'd better go brush his teeth because his breath was smelly. He said, "like Santa?".
Huh?
Apparently last year when he got a chance to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what he wanted for Christmas, Santa had smelly breath. Santa always leaves toothbrushes in our stockings, maybe he needs to keep one out for himself. Or maybe we could start leaving breath mints instead of cookies (someone needs to look our for santa's dental health)...
Since he's in kindergarten this year, I'm waiting for the day that my 5-year-old comes home from school saying that so and so told him that there's no such thing as santa. I've been trying to think of what I will do when that time comes. I don't want to lie to him if he asks directly, but I want him to believe for as long as possible. Believing is magical, and every childhood ought to have as much magic as possible.
I've had a couple of suggestions. The first is to tell him that santa only brings presents to those who believe (although the mother that told me that wondered if she was just teaching her child to lie to her....). The other was to say, "some people believe and some people don't, but it sure is fun to believe so why don't we?".
There's also explaining about how santa represents the spirit of giving, just like the wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus.
What would you do?
Huh?
Apparently last year when he got a chance to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what he wanted for Christmas, Santa had smelly breath. Santa always leaves toothbrushes in our stockings, maybe he needs to keep one out for himself. Or maybe we could start leaving breath mints instead of cookies (someone needs to look our for santa's dental health)...
Since he's in kindergarten this year, I'm waiting for the day that my 5-year-old comes home from school saying that so and so told him that there's no such thing as santa. I've been trying to think of what I will do when that time comes. I don't want to lie to him if he asks directly, but I want him to believe for as long as possible. Believing is magical, and every childhood ought to have as much magic as possible.
I've had a couple of suggestions. The first is to tell him that santa only brings presents to those who believe (although the mother that told me that wondered if she was just teaching her child to lie to her....). The other was to say, "some people believe and some people don't, but it sure is fun to believe so why don't we?".
There's also explaining about how santa represents the spirit of giving, just like the wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus.
What would you do?
Holding my breath for number 3 to hit.
Warning: This post may contain random ramblings...
"They" (whoever "they" are) say that bad things happen in threes. Well, we've replaced the front tires on the van, and now our fridge is on the brink of death, I'm afraid of what might happen next...
Hopefully whatever is wrong with our fridge is covered by warranty (which runs out the end of this month, so good timing eh?), we'll find out this afternoon when the repairman arrives. Currently the freezer food has all been moved out to the outdoor freezer, but the fridge food has no where to go. It's cool, but I'm not sure if it's cold enough. The milk tasted a little "less than crisp (can milk taste crisp?) but I have milk-tasting issues anyway so it's probably fine.
Speaking of number 3. no we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet. Because of Thanksgiving, the hospital is backed into the last week of november, so our ultrasound is scheduled for the 28th. I'm not sure whether to be excited or resigned. There is always the possibility of a female child, it just doesn't seem like a good idea to get my hopes up because who wants to be disappointed when it comes to a baby? That hardly seems fair to the poor kid. My brief shock at #2 son being a boy not a girl was brief (I was sure he was a girl), and mostly centered around not being able to buy any little dresses.
My mister said that he thought I should keep a journal to record all the funny things that the kids do during the day. I told him that's why I have a blog, but as he pointed out, my blog doesn't really include much about my kids these days, so here's the update:
My 5-year-old is the VIP (Very Important Person) in his kindergarten class this week. It's been very exciting for him. Yesterday I told him that even when it wasn't his VIP week, he'd still be a VIP to me. He liked that.
A few weeks ago we had parent teacher conferences, he's doing well. He struggles with following directions, but as the teacher pointed out, he's 5, so that's normal.
In class he had filled out his own report card which asked a bunch of questions, each of which was followed by a happy face, a straight face, and a frowny face. He circled smiley faces on all but the first question, "I like going to school". I asked him why he circled the frowny face and he said, "It's a lot of work. I don't like going to school, but I go anyway." What a good kid. He likes being at school apparently, he's just not so fond of having to leave home.
This morning (he's done this before too) while mister and I were trying to wake up, this sweet 5-year-old set the table with bowls and spoons and cups for all of us, then poured cereal and (not-quite-cold-enough) milk for himself and his younger brother.
In the nearly-3-year-old department, I've gotten tired of constantly running to the kitchen to stop him from getting things out of the fridge. He's still eating like there's no tomorrow. I've set "snack times" and am not letting him eat if it's not snack time. I'm still running to the fridge to stop him from helping himself every two minutes, but I'm not feeding him all day long anymore.
Yesterday I made a huge lunch for both boys and didn't think they'd eat it all, but they did. I've been reading the Vegan Lunchbox Blog. We're not vegan, or even vegetarian (meat, yum) but it's a fun blog to read, and it nearly always inspires me to make lunch a little more fun. Fun lunches get eaten better than boring ones do. We had a dish of yogurt, peanut butter sandwiches, craisins, and carrots cut into little disks (the 5-year-old called them carrot quarters) with ranch dressing to dip. They ate everything and wanted more. The food was all arranged in our favorite "snack plate lunch" fashion which comes from the days when my grandma would cut up apples (skins off) and cheese and crackers and arrange them on a plate when we were sick. I still love snack plates...
"They" (whoever "they" are) say that bad things happen in threes. Well, we've replaced the front tires on the van, and now our fridge is on the brink of death, I'm afraid of what might happen next...
Hopefully whatever is wrong with our fridge is covered by warranty (which runs out the end of this month, so good timing eh?), we'll find out this afternoon when the repairman arrives. Currently the freezer food has all been moved out to the outdoor freezer, but the fridge food has no where to go. It's cool, but I'm not sure if it's cold enough. The milk tasted a little "less than crisp (can milk taste crisp?) but I have milk-tasting issues anyway so it's probably fine.
Speaking of number 3. no we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet. Because of Thanksgiving, the hospital is backed into the last week of november, so our ultrasound is scheduled for the 28th. I'm not sure whether to be excited or resigned. There is always the possibility of a female child, it just doesn't seem like a good idea to get my hopes up because who wants to be disappointed when it comes to a baby? That hardly seems fair to the poor kid. My brief shock at #2 son being a boy not a girl was brief (I was sure he was a girl), and mostly centered around not being able to buy any little dresses.
My mister said that he thought I should keep a journal to record all the funny things that the kids do during the day. I told him that's why I have a blog, but as he pointed out, my blog doesn't really include much about my kids these days, so here's the update:
My 5-year-old is the VIP (Very Important Person) in his kindergarten class this week. It's been very exciting for him. Yesterday I told him that even when it wasn't his VIP week, he'd still be a VIP to me. He liked that.
A few weeks ago we had parent teacher conferences, he's doing well. He struggles with following directions, but as the teacher pointed out, he's 5, so that's normal.
In class he had filled out his own report card which asked a bunch of questions, each of which was followed by a happy face, a straight face, and a frowny face. He circled smiley faces on all but the first question, "I like going to school". I asked him why he circled the frowny face and he said, "It's a lot of work. I don't like going to school, but I go anyway." What a good kid. He likes being at school apparently, he's just not so fond of having to leave home.
This morning (he's done this before too) while mister and I were trying to wake up, this sweet 5-year-old set the table with bowls and spoons and cups for all of us, then poured cereal and (not-quite-cold-enough) milk for himself and his younger brother.
In the nearly-3-year-old department, I've gotten tired of constantly running to the kitchen to stop him from getting things out of the fridge. He's still eating like there's no tomorrow. I've set "snack times" and am not letting him eat if it's not snack time. I'm still running to the fridge to stop him from helping himself every two minutes, but I'm not feeding him all day long anymore.
Yesterday I made a huge lunch for both boys and didn't think they'd eat it all, but they did. I've been reading the Vegan Lunchbox Blog. We're not vegan, or even vegetarian (meat, yum) but it's a fun blog to read, and it nearly always inspires me to make lunch a little more fun. Fun lunches get eaten better than boring ones do. We had a dish of yogurt, peanut butter sandwiches, craisins, and carrots cut into little disks (the 5-year-old called them carrot quarters) with ranch dressing to dip. They ate everything and wanted more. The food was all arranged in our favorite "snack plate lunch" fashion which comes from the days when my grandma would cut up apples (skins off) and cheese and crackers and arrange them on a plate when we were sick. I still love snack plates...
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Going public...
My sister posted on some of her experiences with health care today on her blog. She is a legal aid attorney and I would guess the majority of her clients have no health insurance, or very little. It was an interesting read. Check it out here.
The post got me to thinking, since private industry has done so well with health care, perhaps it is a good idea to privatize education. That way, every year our classroom premiums can go up, and if our children need speech therapy or are struggling in some area the school system can just cut off service to keep costs "down" for the rest of the children (not to mention profits up for the rest of the shareholders).
Maybe then wal mart or some other big box chain will open up "education centers" in their stores, and parents can take their children to wal mart to be educated while the parent gets their shopping done (hey, Smith's Marketplace already has that Freddie's Playland area, it's perfect!!!).
In a discussion with my family about privatizing education, my mom (who knows PRACTICALLY everything- since she had a real education, not a wal mart one) pointed out that private business is about making money. That's obvious, right? The whole purpose of business is to make money, so why would we want someone's bottom line to be the driving force behind our children's education?
The post got me to thinking, since private industry has done so well with health care, perhaps it is a good idea to privatize education. That way, every year our classroom premiums can go up, and if our children need speech therapy or are struggling in some area the school system can just cut off service to keep costs "down" for the rest of the children (not to mention profits up for the rest of the shareholders).
Maybe then wal mart or some other big box chain will open up "education centers" in their stores, and parents can take their children to wal mart to be educated while the parent gets their shopping done (hey, Smith's Marketplace already has that Freddie's Playland area, it's perfect!!!).
In a discussion with my family about privatizing education, my mom (who knows PRACTICALLY everything- since she had a real education, not a wal mart one) pointed out that private business is about making money. That's obvious, right? The whole purpose of business is to make money, so why would we want someone's bottom line to be the driving force behind our children's education?
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Thank You
To all the wonderful, highly qualified democratic candidates who ran for local positions, Thank You!
Thank you for giving us a choice in who to vote for. Thank you for your time and effort.
It was a little frustrating at the voting booth to have so many races that were uncontested. I wish I had thought to just not vote in those races. It meant a lot to me to have a choice, and in so many cases, choices that I truly believed were better qualified.
And lastly, thanks to Pete Ashdown for putting so much into his senate race. I'm saving my signs for next time.
It will be interesting to watch what happens nationally with some changes in power. I'm hoping for sensible compromises and a government that stops fighting itself and works together.
Thank you for giving us a choice in who to vote for. Thank you for your time and effort.
It was a little frustrating at the voting booth to have so many races that were uncontested. I wish I had thought to just not vote in those races. It meant a lot to me to have a choice, and in so many cases, choices that I truly believed were better qualified.
And lastly, thanks to Pete Ashdown for putting so much into his senate race. I'm saving my signs for next time.
It will be interesting to watch what happens nationally with some changes in power. I'm hoping for sensible compromises and a government that stops fighting itself and works together.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Mean Voters....(getting yelled at)
I'm not used to getting yelled at. I don't deal with it well. When someone yells at me it makes me feel all unsettled, which is one reason why I generally don't yell at other people (that, and I'm just not a loud person).
I went to pick up my son from kindergarten today, and since it is voting day, the parking lot was full. I generally don't worry too much about pulling in behind the line of cars that block a row of parked cars because the parked cars are generally teachers who won't be leaving during the two minutes I'm blocking them in. I have been blocked in before, by a woman who visited with several other mothers while I waited for her to move her vehicle. It was irritating, but I waited for her and it was only a couple of minutes.
Anyway, there were no parking spots available today, so I pulled as far forward as I could hoping that the only cars I was blocking belonged to teachers. I saw kids coming out, so I hurried to go get my son. It wasn't his class, so I waited for one minute until his class got out. Then we hurried to the van.
When we got there a man in a small sedan was part-way backed out, and I thought he had hit my van with the way he braked suddenly. He jumped out of his car and started yelling at me "is this your van! Is this your van?!" He also said something about me blocking him in. I apologized and said I was just picking up my son from school. I understand his frustration with being blocked in. For that I'm really sorry.
There were no parking spots, and everyone just pulls up behind the parked cars- in a nice little row- when they pick up kindergartners. Having all the voters there made it a mess.
So as I was starting to pull out so he could get out (remember, I'm trying to hurry because he is obviously upset about the whole thing), he managed to maneuver his car around mine, causing me to brake suddenly- I didn't expect him to dart out like that- I didn't think there was even room for him to get out.
A raise in my blood pressure might do me some good, maybe I won't feel so dizzy when I stand up, but I don't think this man was benefited by the raise in his blood pressure. He could have said "I'm really frustrated that you blocked me in. I'm in a hurry and don't appreciate your idea of a parking spot". Then I would have said, "I'm really sorry, there weren't any parking spots and I thought I saw my son come out of the school, so I was trying to get him to the van before anyone needed to back out, I'm sorry it took longer than I had anticipated".
Then there wouldn't have been any raised blood pressure, or near-crashes, or general unsettled feelings on my part.
Next time someone does something that you find upsetting, try speaking calmly instead of yelling. Everyone will feel better.
I went to pick up my son from kindergarten today, and since it is voting day, the parking lot was full. I generally don't worry too much about pulling in behind the line of cars that block a row of parked cars because the parked cars are generally teachers who won't be leaving during the two minutes I'm blocking them in. I have been blocked in before, by a woman who visited with several other mothers while I waited for her to move her vehicle. It was irritating, but I waited for her and it was only a couple of minutes.
Anyway, there were no parking spots available today, so I pulled as far forward as I could hoping that the only cars I was blocking belonged to teachers. I saw kids coming out, so I hurried to go get my son. It wasn't his class, so I waited for one minute until his class got out. Then we hurried to the van.
When we got there a man in a small sedan was part-way backed out, and I thought he had hit my van with the way he braked suddenly. He jumped out of his car and started yelling at me "is this your van! Is this your van?!" He also said something about me blocking him in. I apologized and said I was just picking up my son from school. I understand his frustration with being blocked in. For that I'm really sorry.
There were no parking spots, and everyone just pulls up behind the parked cars- in a nice little row- when they pick up kindergartners. Having all the voters there made it a mess.
So as I was starting to pull out so he could get out (remember, I'm trying to hurry because he is obviously upset about the whole thing), he managed to maneuver his car around mine, causing me to brake suddenly- I didn't expect him to dart out like that- I didn't think there was even room for him to get out.
A raise in my blood pressure might do me some good, maybe I won't feel so dizzy when I stand up, but I don't think this man was benefited by the raise in his blood pressure. He could have said "I'm really frustrated that you blocked me in. I'm in a hurry and don't appreciate your idea of a parking spot". Then I would have said, "I'm really sorry, there weren't any parking spots and I thought I saw my son come out of the school, so I was trying to get him to the van before anyone needed to back out, I'm sorry it took longer than I had anticipated".
Then there wouldn't have been any raised blood pressure, or near-crashes, or general unsettled feelings on my part.
Next time someone does something that you find upsetting, try speaking calmly instead of yelling. Everyone will feel better.
Zero Energy Homes
My poor Mister now has even more to plan for if/when we build our "dream home".
I've been reading about zero engery homes, where the home is built to be extremely energy efficient and then solar panels are used to provide much of the electricity the home needs (and sometimes extra, which is sold back to the power company as credit).
I wonder if my current favorite house plan would be adaptable....
Here's a story from MSNBC about a Zero-energy house that was build in california.
And Here is an interesting website with a list of things that you should consider when trying to make your home more efficient.
I've been reading about zero engery homes, where the home is built to be extremely energy efficient and then solar panels are used to provide much of the electricity the home needs (and sometimes extra, which is sold back to the power company as credit).
I wonder if my current favorite house plan would be adaptable....
Here's a story from MSNBC about a Zero-energy house that was build in california.
And Here is an interesting website with a list of things that you should consider when trying to make your home more efficient.
Monday, October 23, 2006
What is a Liberal?
There's a post on Woods Cross Citizen that talks about a local candidate distancing himself from the national party. The thing about the post that interests me is one of it's comments...
The Angel Liberal said...
James 1: 5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Let's remember the true meaning of liberal, not the Sean Hannity assassination of the word.
Alma 1: 30
30 And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were thirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.
Alma 6: 5
5 Now I would that ye should understand that the word of God was liberal unto all, that none were deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God.
D&C 46: 7
7 But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils.
Think about it.
Brings new meaning to the term "bleeding liberal" doesn't it.
I was talking with my dad the other night about how we in our suburbia get so comfortable. We have nice couches, and we drive nice cars. We don't have to think about people who are starving or people who don't have places to live because we don't see it. We get caught up with soccer games and pot luck dinners and all the little things in our lives that seem so important, but we forget about taking care of others who are not as blessed as we are.
Perhaps we all ought to be a little more liberal.
The Angel Liberal said...
James 1: 5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Let's remember the true meaning of liberal, not the Sean Hannity assassination of the word.
Alma 1: 30
30 And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were thirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.
Alma 6: 5
5 Now I would that ye should understand that the word of God was liberal unto all, that none were deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God.
D&C 46: 7
7 But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils.
Think about it.
Brings new meaning to the term "bleeding liberal" doesn't it.
I was talking with my dad the other night about how we in our suburbia get so comfortable. We have nice couches, and we drive nice cars. We don't have to think about people who are starving or people who don't have places to live because we don't see it. We get caught up with soccer games and pot luck dinners and all the little things in our lives that seem so important, but we forget about taking care of others who are not as blessed as we are.
Perhaps we all ought to be a little more liberal.
Depression and Brussel Sprouts
No, sorry children, there is no known link between the two...
This time of year always makes me a little sad. The gardening season is over. Then there's politics.
It depresses me that there are so many qualified candidates who don't get as much support because they are democrats, while crazies (aka less-qualified-but-still-nice-people-in-general-probably) end up getting elected. I'm remembering Rob Bishop. How in the world did he get elected?
Paul Neuenshwander has some jumbo signs up with the word REPUBLICAN across the bottom (in case anyone forgot who they should vote for).
Here's hoping for sane voters (and by sane, I mean those who agree with me) this year.
In other news, I tried brussel sprouts for the first time ever last night. I was pleasantly surprised. I really expected to gag them down. They tasted a little like cauliflower, just a bit stronger.
I wouldn't mind eating them again (as long as they are cooked well, and not too big- I've heard they can be terrible if you aren't careful about only buying small ones).
This time of year always makes me a little sad. The gardening season is over. Then there's politics.
It depresses me that there are so many qualified candidates who don't get as much support because they are democrats, while crazies (aka less-qualified-but-still-nice-people-in-general-probably) end up getting elected. I'm remembering Rob Bishop. How in the world did he get elected?
Paul Neuenshwander has some jumbo signs up with the word REPUBLICAN across the bottom (in case anyone forgot who they should vote for).
Here's hoping for sane voters (and by sane, I mean those who agree with me) this year.
In other news, I tried brussel sprouts for the first time ever last night. I was pleasantly surprised. I really expected to gag them down. They tasted a little like cauliflower, just a bit stronger.
I wouldn't mind eating them again (as long as they are cooked well, and not too big- I've heard they can be terrible if you aren't careful about only buying small ones).
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Still here...
Every morning (at least on weekdays) I wake up, get the kids ready (usually with a lot of help from the Mister) and head to school. Kindergarten that is.
Between shuttling the 5-year-old (we are walking less than we used to) to and from school, and the 2-year-old's play group, and volunteering as a computer mom and a reading mom, helping with homework (no, it's no mandatory for kindergartners to do homework, but he gets "pluses" for doing it, which earns him small prizes), and youth council, and church responsibilities, and Mister's school (which is a huge part), I'm too tired to blog much.
I'm feeling pretty good, a little tired, but not sick anymore. My pants don't really fit anymore, which makes dressing interesting.
I'll try to blog if anything extra special happens. :)
Oh, the 2-year-old did finally advance to the next shoe size today (and he is still eating constantly).
Between shuttling the 5-year-old (we are walking less than we used to) to and from school, and the 2-year-old's play group, and volunteering as a computer mom and a reading mom, helping with homework (no, it's no mandatory for kindergartners to do homework, but he gets "pluses" for doing it, which earns him small prizes), and youth council, and church responsibilities, and Mister's school (which is a huge part), I'm too tired to blog much.
I'm feeling pretty good, a little tired, but not sick anymore. My pants don't really fit anymore, which makes dressing interesting.
I'll try to blog if anything extra special happens. :)
Oh, the 2-year-old did finally advance to the next shoe size today (and he is still eating constantly).
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Growing
My two-and-a-half-year-old is on a bingeing spree.
This morning he had oatmeal for breakfast. I always thought of oatmeal as a food that really fills you up. 10 minutes later he was hungry again. I gave him a large banana. A little while later I heard the "mom, I hungry" from the basement, and up he rushed to find his next meal. I gave him a piece of bread with jam, followed by another piece of bread with no jam. A little while later he had a few pieces of cheese and some grapes. It's not even lunch time yet.
This has been going on for several days now, and my "snack food" reserves are being depleted. I may have to start feeding him a second bowl of oatmeal around 9:30.
For a boy who hasn't been above the 10th percentile in height since he was born, he sure better be having a growth spurt. I don't know what else to feed him!
This morning he had oatmeal for breakfast. I always thought of oatmeal as a food that really fills you up. 10 minutes later he was hungry again. I gave him a large banana. A little while later I heard the "mom, I hungry" from the basement, and up he rushed to find his next meal. I gave him a piece of bread with jam, followed by another piece of bread with no jam. A little while later he had a few pieces of cheese and some grapes. It's not even lunch time yet.
This has been going on for several days now, and my "snack food" reserves are being depleted. I may have to start feeding him a second bowl of oatmeal around 9:30.
For a boy who hasn't been above the 10th percentile in height since he was born, he sure better be having a growth spurt. I don't know what else to feed him!
Another Reason to Eat Locally...
There's a website called the 100 Mile Diet. The goal, obviously is to support local agriculture and avoid the waste that occurs when food has to be shipped all over the country. According to the website, When the average North American sits down to eat, each ingredient has typically travelled at least 1,500 miles.
The article linked in my title is found at kidshealth.org and talks about the recent problems with spinach and E Coli. Scientists were able to track the outbreak to "somewhere in california". Since california produces a huge percent of our food, that's not a real shocker, nor is it really much help in controlling future outbreaks. The question is asked, why is such a huge spinach crop grown in california when spinach is such an easy crop to grow in most any climate? We can grow spinach in Utah, but instead we ship it all the way from california. If crops were grown and consumed locally, any E coli outbreak would be easily contained, because we would know where the outbreak came from.
I also found in interesting in the kidshealth article that we know that raising cows in such large quantities can lead to a dangerous spread of E Coli. We also know that eating high amounts of beef leads to health problems. Obesity in children is an epidemic. Despite what we "know", we can't stand the thought of paying more for our hamburgers, or the idea of cutting back on how much we eat.
Moderation in all things is good and well, just don't mess with my triple cheeseburger. It's the American Way!
The article linked in my title is found at kidshealth.org and talks about the recent problems with spinach and E Coli. Scientists were able to track the outbreak to "somewhere in california". Since california produces a huge percent of our food, that's not a real shocker, nor is it really much help in controlling future outbreaks. The question is asked, why is such a huge spinach crop grown in california when spinach is such an easy crop to grow in most any climate? We can grow spinach in Utah, but instead we ship it all the way from california. If crops were grown and consumed locally, any E coli outbreak would be easily contained, because we would know where the outbreak came from.
I also found in interesting in the kidshealth article that we know that raising cows in such large quantities can lead to a dangerous spread of E Coli. We also know that eating high amounts of beef leads to health problems. Obesity in children is an epidemic. Despite what we "know", we can't stand the thought of paying more for our hamburgers, or the idea of cutting back on how much we eat.
Moderation in all things is good and well, just don't mess with my triple cheeseburger. It's the American Way!
Friday, September 22, 2006
"Illegals"
It seems like a lot of people get defensive when it comes to "illegal" immigrants taking "their" jobs (as if they themselves were trying to get hired at mcdonalds or as field workers). All sense of charity that so many in the country felt toward those in asia after the tsunami, or toward victims of hurricane katrina seem to go out the window. Where have we been told that acts of charity should exclude any particular group of people?
If we show a little kindness to people who are not in the US legally, are we doing something so very bad? It's so easy to group people so that we don't have to remember that they are human. If we can just call them all "illegals" it justifies our treating them poorly.
Have you ever stopped to think about an individual? There but the grace of God go I. How did I get so blessed to live the life I do? How would you hope other people might treat you if you had been born into a slum in south america somewhere? What if you were so desperate for a way to support your family, that you sneaked across the border? Would you want to be treated as less-than-human?
My dad posted this letter on his blog. It's from a young friend who was here in the US illegally, and got into some trouble (speeding tickets I believe) and was arrested and deported. My dad saw something in him beyond what most other people saw. He showed love and compassion, and look at the result...
I believe there is a reason for everything, there is a purpose for me being here in Peru and there is a purpose for everything that had happened to me in the course of my life.
I cannot understand why since I have being a little boy had a sense of belonging to something bigger and the presense of the spirit was always around me for diferent reasons I guess the lord want me to take care of a lot of things so he put me in the family I belong. for some reason it is my call to help my brothers my mom and my dad. is not something I decided to do it is just natural to me to do because the lord decide it was my call and for some reason I know it is.
I cannot say why but that is how it is I cannot complain because of that the lord always blessed me more than all my brothers and my family. I was always happy even in the bad times and always was able to help them even with money to go to the US. I can say that the lord always give the tools to do wath he wants me todo till the point I was not worry about money or food, because even when I used all my resourses to help others the lord somehow returned to me ten times more what I give to others over and over so I can say I always did good here in Peru even when things where so hard and jobs were so low and all it was because of the lord and his miracle ways to acomplish his purposes.
I feel very blessed George I love you and respect you a lot even more than my natural father. we are so a like that I know you understand my feelings, how I think my goals, dreams and plans. and that is why I feel very happy and atached to you. I can say that I see my self in you only that you are thousends better than me but I hope some day be as you are. and put others first than my self, just be focus on the gospel and the kingdom of the lord. so far this life is just temporary and a tiny piece of sand compared to the eternity of the kingdom of our heavenly father.
In my short 30's I can say I have being through a lot but at the same time I can say that my life had being full of privileges compared to others I have a lot. I'm rich as you said. in fact I feel I'm wealthy. I'm so happy because of the knowledge I have about the gospel. I'm priviledge to be a member of this wonderful church while other people are lost in the darkness of this world, I have the light and the guidance of the spirit the Malchisedec priesthood. I'm married to a wonderful woman will be soon sealed in the temple and will give the priesthod to my brother Renzo, as you can see and rich and blessed.
I know some people think they are not priviledge because they have being born in south america in a third world country where things are so hard and there is too much poverty, but I feel blessed because I know the road to the kingdom of my heavenly father it is not easy so i do not pretend to live in a fantasy world where everything is easy and you have everything that way you cannot apreciate what you have.
I'm looking forward to be there with you and my kids when they called you grandpa. I will let them know about you and let them know what I learned from you and how you helped others. I will show George Jr. how to be as his grandpa. and I will always set the example talking about you. they will go to missions and will bring souls to the lord. and all that will be possible because you helped this lost soul and rescue it from the darkness when others saw just another ilegal in trouble you extended your lovely hand to me helping me not expecting anything in return just showing the pure love of jesuschrist you have in your heart.
I will see you soon in the temple when I'll be sealed with Vanezza and you will be in my heart and toughs when i'll be giving the priesthood to Renzo. remember that all that is going to be posible because you decided to help just another ilegal in trouble who will never deserve all that you are doing for him. you have changed my life forever you are the biggest miracle in my life.
How dare I ever take my life for granted. I have so much. Everyone has struggles, but mine in comparison to so many people around the world, are miniscule. I don't worry about having food to eat. I even get to eat in nice restaurants sometimes. I don't worry about shelter, and I have the luxury of sitting on a leather couch. When it is cold, the heater comes on automatically. When it is hot, the air conditioner kicks on. When I am sick, I can see a competent doctor without much hassle. On and on I go, living my life concerned with my own concerns, when they are nothing.
I feel blessed because I know the road to the kingdom of my heavenly father it is not easy so i do not pretend to live in a fantasy world where everything is easy and you have everything that way you cannot apreciate what you have.
Amen Miguel. May the Lord bless your life. May I be an instrument in blessing the life of another.
If we show a little kindness to people who are not in the US legally, are we doing something so very bad? It's so easy to group people so that we don't have to remember that they are human. If we can just call them all "illegals" it justifies our treating them poorly.
Have you ever stopped to think about an individual? There but the grace of God go I. How did I get so blessed to live the life I do? How would you hope other people might treat you if you had been born into a slum in south america somewhere? What if you were so desperate for a way to support your family, that you sneaked across the border? Would you want to be treated as less-than-human?
My dad posted this letter on his blog. It's from a young friend who was here in the US illegally, and got into some trouble (speeding tickets I believe) and was arrested and deported. My dad saw something in him beyond what most other people saw. He showed love and compassion, and look at the result...
I believe there is a reason for everything, there is a purpose for me being here in Peru and there is a purpose for everything that had happened to me in the course of my life.
I cannot understand why since I have being a little boy had a sense of belonging to something bigger and the presense of the spirit was always around me for diferent reasons I guess the lord want me to take care of a lot of things so he put me in the family I belong. for some reason it is my call to help my brothers my mom and my dad. is not something I decided to do it is just natural to me to do because the lord decide it was my call and for some reason I know it is.
I cannot say why but that is how it is I cannot complain because of that the lord always blessed me more than all my brothers and my family. I was always happy even in the bad times and always was able to help them even with money to go to the US. I can say that the lord always give the tools to do wath he wants me todo till the point I was not worry about money or food, because even when I used all my resourses to help others the lord somehow returned to me ten times more what I give to others over and over so I can say I always did good here in Peru even when things where so hard and jobs were so low and all it was because of the lord and his miracle ways to acomplish his purposes.
I feel very blessed George I love you and respect you a lot even more than my natural father. we are so a like that I know you understand my feelings, how I think my goals, dreams and plans. and that is why I feel very happy and atached to you. I can say that I see my self in you only that you are thousends better than me but I hope some day be as you are. and put others first than my self, just be focus on the gospel and the kingdom of the lord. so far this life is just temporary and a tiny piece of sand compared to the eternity of the kingdom of our heavenly father.
In my short 30's I can say I have being through a lot but at the same time I can say that my life had being full of privileges compared to others I have a lot. I'm rich as you said. in fact I feel I'm wealthy. I'm so happy because of the knowledge I have about the gospel. I'm priviledge to be a member of this wonderful church while other people are lost in the darkness of this world, I have the light and the guidance of the spirit the Malchisedec priesthood. I'm married to a wonderful woman will be soon sealed in the temple and will give the priesthod to my brother Renzo, as you can see and rich and blessed.
I know some people think they are not priviledge because they have being born in south america in a third world country where things are so hard and there is too much poverty, but I feel blessed because I know the road to the kingdom of my heavenly father it is not easy so i do not pretend to live in a fantasy world where everything is easy and you have everything that way you cannot apreciate what you have.
I'm looking forward to be there with you and my kids when they called you grandpa. I will let them know about you and let them know what I learned from you and how you helped others. I will show George Jr. how to be as his grandpa. and I will always set the example talking about you. they will go to missions and will bring souls to the lord. and all that will be possible because you helped this lost soul and rescue it from the darkness when others saw just another ilegal in trouble you extended your lovely hand to me helping me not expecting anything in return just showing the pure love of jesuschrist you have in your heart.
I will see you soon in the temple when I'll be sealed with Vanezza and you will be in my heart and toughs when i'll be giving the priesthood to Renzo. remember that all that is going to be posible because you decided to help just another ilegal in trouble who will never deserve all that you are doing for him. you have changed my life forever you are the biggest miracle in my life.
How dare I ever take my life for granted. I have so much. Everyone has struggles, but mine in comparison to so many people around the world, are miniscule. I don't worry about having food to eat. I even get to eat in nice restaurants sometimes. I don't worry about shelter, and I have the luxury of sitting on a leather couch. When it is cold, the heater comes on automatically. When it is hot, the air conditioner kicks on. When I am sick, I can see a competent doctor without much hassle. On and on I go, living my life concerned with my own concerns, when they are nothing.
I feel blessed because I know the road to the kingdom of my heavenly father it is not easy so i do not pretend to live in a fantasy world where everything is easy and you have everything that way you cannot apreciate what you have.
Amen Miguel. May the Lord bless your life. May I be an instrument in blessing the life of another.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
The Great Diaper Debate...
I thought about using cloth diapers when my 5-year-old was born. I thought about it when my 2-year-old was born. Now, here I am again, thinking about it.
My problem with cloth diapers is the cleaning them part. I could use a diaper service, but then I still have to have a diaper pail full of poopy diapers (and I think they still like you to rinse the worst of the poop off).
My other concern with cloth diapers is that they just don't absorb like disposables...
What to do...what to do...
Well, I stumbled across gdiapers.
I'm really interested. The Mister has complained about the horrible smell coming from our outside garbage can (although now that I think about it, he may be blaming that on the dog poop, not the baby poop...hmmm) and this would certainly keep the baby poop out of the garbage.
The worst part of the whole diaper clean-up would be cleaning the snap-in liners, but that could be done with wipes...
They're slightly more expensive than disposables, and I'm not sure what the shipping charges are, but I can get the liners shipped automatically every few weeks or once a month...
If anyone feels the desire to get me a baby gift at the appropriate time, I'd like some of these (unless I have a girl, because I wouldn't want to deprive anyone of buying adorable little girl clothes if they so desired (not that anyone has to buy baby gifts for a THIRD child....no pressure...)).
If the liners are just wet, they're even compostable. Pretty cool.
I may just buy a starter set to try on my two year old...
My problem with cloth diapers is the cleaning them part. I could use a diaper service, but then I still have to have a diaper pail full of poopy diapers (and I think they still like you to rinse the worst of the poop off).
My other concern with cloth diapers is that they just don't absorb like disposables...
What to do...what to do...
Well, I stumbled across gdiapers.
I'm really interested. The Mister has complained about the horrible smell coming from our outside garbage can (although now that I think about it, he may be blaming that on the dog poop, not the baby poop...hmmm) and this would certainly keep the baby poop out of the garbage.
The worst part of the whole diaper clean-up would be cleaning the snap-in liners, but that could be done with wipes...
They're slightly more expensive than disposables, and I'm not sure what the shipping charges are, but I can get the liners shipped automatically every few weeks or once a month...
If anyone feels the desire to get me a baby gift at the appropriate time, I'd like some of these (unless I have a girl, because I wouldn't want to deprive anyone of buying adorable little girl clothes if they so desired (not that anyone has to buy baby gifts for a THIRD child....no pressure...)).
If the liners are just wet, they're even compostable. Pretty cool.
I may just buy a starter set to try on my two year old...
Friday, September 08, 2006
The Official Announcement
For those who haven't heard the rumors yet, or for those who have but would like to hear it from me....
The Mister and I are expecting baby #3 early april sometime. Check back because I might get a picture from the ultrasound (my dr. has a machine in her office) posted.
It was really neat, on the ultrasound you could see the little hands and legs moving around. I've never seen so much movement at that first ultrasound before.
It appears that we are having a gummy bear. Stay tuned for the gender update in two months (maybe).
The Mister and I are expecting baby #3 early april sometime. Check back because I might get a picture from the ultrasound (my dr. has a machine in her office) posted.
It was really neat, on the ultrasound you could see the little hands and legs moving around. I've never seen so much movement at that first ultrasound before.
It appears that we are having a gummy bear. Stay tuned for the gender update in two months (maybe).
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
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